Gasification of liquid fuels



June 18, 1929. v D Z 1,717,767

GASIFICATION OF LIQUID FUELS Filed Aug. 10, 1925 Patented June 18, 1929.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANTONIO VELAZQUEZ DIAZ, OF MADRID, SPAIN.

GASIFVICATION or LIQUID FUELS.

lipplication filed August 10, 1925, Serial Many investigators haveconsidered the question ofsupplying stationary or automobile explosionengines with heavy oils. The process which many of them have'adoptedcould not be more simple; to decompose by heat the said heavy oils andcarburet, by means of the gases produced, the air drawn in by theengine. Now the heavy oils produce, when they are broken up, gaseshaving a high calorific value, but at the same time deposit a largeamount of carbon which rapidly fouls the parts of the apparatus in whichthe said decomposition is obtained, for which reason it has not beenpossible to make practical use of the said process.

The object of the invention is to prevent the formation of theseprejudicial deposits of carbon and for this purpose air and water areintroduced into the liquid fuel vaporizer, heated to a high temperature,at the same time as the fuel, the quantities of these two substancesbeing regulated in such a way that the carbon is partially burnt andconverted into carbon monoxide, the result being obtained thatapproximately one quarter :of the said carbon is oxidized by the water,which has been previously decomposed by heat into oxygen and hydrogen,and the remaining three quarters by the air.

Tt isclear that it is not necessary in the process according to theinvention to employ water since the carbon may be removed by air alonealthough in this case full use is not made of the power containedin thefuel.

The air and water may enter the vaporizer through the same duct as theliquid fuel or through other independent ducts, and the said vaporizermay be heated electrically, with a suitable lamp, by red hot carbon, bymeans of the exhaust gases of the engine or by the combination of two ormore of these means.

, The process may be carried out, for example, by combining the firstand the fourth of the means indicated.

By means of the process according to the invention both mineral andvegetable oils may be gasified and it is based on the same reactionswhich take place for obtaining those gases called poor gases and watergases from any solid fuel, with the sole difierence of the preliminarydecomposition by heat of the liquid fuels gasified by the processaccording to the invention.

No. 49,445, and in Spain August 18, 1924.

I have found the following method particularly suitable for carrying theprocess according to the invention into effect.

This method consists in making use of a vaporizer having double wallsbetween which circulate the exhaust gases of the engine; this vaporizeris filled with carbon, and a small gurrent of air is led to it which isobtained by means of the suction of the engine.

The fuel mixed with air passes into the internal chamber of thevaporizer, this mixture passing previously through a tube with which theapparatus is provided, from which the result is obtained that when thelatter is working the fuel enters the said internal chamber in avaporized condition.

In order to obtain the necessary temperature the engine is previouslystarted up with gasoline for the purpose of warming by the exhaust gasesthe carbon which has been placed in the internal chamber of theapparatus. This rise in temperature together with the current of aircauses the carbon to become rapidly red hot and this. is the moment tocommence to introduce into the vaporizer the desired liquid fuel, thesupply of gasoline to the engine being cut 0d at the same time.

. The vaporizer is naturally provided with a pipe leading the gasesproduced to the engine.

The figure shows one specific embodiment of the invention.

1 is the intake manifold of the engine, leading to a carburetor. 2 is abi-pass which leads directly to the engine. 7 is the exhaust ports ofthe engine 3. t is the exhaust pipe. 9 illustrates a body of carbonemployed in the device. 10 is a preheating and vaporizing chamber forthe oil which enters through 5. 8 is'a filtering chamber for separatingout the carbon formed by the decomposition of the oil.

let pipes.

The operation will be clear from the preceding description. Oil alone orwith steam, water or air is introduced through 5, is vaporized in 10 anddecomposed 1n 9.

12 and 11 are separating screens. 6 are air in-' Any carbon which passeswith the gasesthrough screen 11 is filtered out in section 8. Theoxidizing gas, such as steam, air or water, which is introduced through5 will burn out any carbon formed through decomthe heavy fuels tableoils in particular,

catalyzers,

Y aspirating air through the said burned'with an temperature of t andintroducing liquid fuel w ich has been i ter or steam may be introducedthrough 6' to aid in the combustion of the carbon.

In order to assist the decomposition of the carbon may be mixed withordinary catalytic agents which lower gheltemperature of decompositionof the said ue s.

' For some of these, such as certain vegeit is-not necessary to put incarbon since it is sufiicientto obtain their decomposition with thetemperature of the exhaust gases, if the internal chamber is filled withhydrogenizing and dehydrating such as magnesia and catalytic copper.

What I claim is:

1. The method of gasifying heavy liquid fuels for internal combustionengines which consists in raising to a red heat a mass of carbon by theheat of the exhaust gases, mass by the r suction of the engine so thatit is partially e mass thereb maintained,

deposited carbon and the vapourized by the heat of the exhaust intothecarbon mass thus heated, the air and vapourized fuel being introducedseparately into the said mass.

2. In, combination with an internal combustion engine, chamber disposedtherein and longitudinally surrounded thereby, said chamber having a gasoutlet at one end thereof, means connecting said outlet with the inletmanifold of said engine, means at the other end of said chamber tointroduce oil thereto, screens disposed in said chamber spaced from eachend thereofto define. three spaces or zones, a mass of carbon fillingthe middle space or zone defined by the screens, pipe meanscommunicating with the said middle space or zone, and pipe meanscommunicating with the end space or zone nearest the gas outletdfrom thechamber, whereby gas may be introduced into said spaces or zones.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ANTONIO VELAZQUEZ DIAZ.

an exhaust. manifold, a"

